Lycoris
by Nemisia
Summary: Kaina Uzumaki. 13 years old. A normal young girl who attends the Ninja Academy at Konoha. Unlike her more ambitious classmates, all she wants is to live a quiet life and to not be bother to everyone. Will she be able to carry it out according to the plan?
1. Chapter 1

Kaina Uzumaki doesn't understand happy people. Why are they smiling?

She could easily understand other emotions, but not happiness. Having never truly experienced it before. The redhead had no trouble putting a smile just like everyone else does yet when she looked at her reflection in the mirror she knew something is missing from that smile.

To her, it looked like someone somehow forgot to add any broths and toppings to ramen. Leaving it in a state of...

Why was she thinking of ramen again?

She has been getting easily sidetracked lately. Something that should not stand if she wanted to fulfill her lifelong ambition.

What kind of ambition, you ask?

In a universe far away, her counterpart would have wanted to be the Hokage just to be recognized by the village and its people. However, Kaina wanted none of that.

Sorry to disappoint you. She wouldn't be the first kunoichi in Konoha's history to achieve the title of Kage. Or Hokage to be precise.

Why? Because every time the current Hokage treats her to Ichiraku, he seemed to be using it as an excuse to escape from paperwork instead of enjoying Kami's gift to mankind like how it should be.

All she wants is to live a quiet life and to not be bother to everyone. She dare not hope for anything better than that.

"Kami-Sama, why did you curse me to live in interesting times?"

When she was younger, she nearly caused another Great Shinobi War by just being there when Kumo's Head Ninja kidnapped the Hyuuga Princess that could be avoided if said ninja doesn't let greed consume him.

Let's just say instead of kidnapping just one child, he also tried to kidnap another child before returning to wherever he came from. A child who always wore the same expression on her face. Just like a doll.

It was the most interesting day of her life.

The almighty Kyuubi No Kitsune is not amused. At least he has other things to do than staring at the infinite white space that served as his prison. There aren't any chains or obstacles barring him from escaping, but whenever he tried to go anywhere he always returned to the same spot again.

"…" The Kyuubi stared.

"…" His jailor stared back.

Kaina had no idea how she landed at the massive, orange fluffy creature sitting in the invisible… floor? What is this place? The afterlife?

The kidnapper couldn't hit her head that hard. She is pretty sure he needed her alive than dead. Most kidnappers tend to not kill their target.

Before she knew it, her body started to move on its own towards the direction of the weird creature whose most prominent feature is his tails. Nine of them. The moment she laid her eyes on those soft and cuddly extensions of the creature, her animalistic side took over.

The difference between a predator and its prey is their instinct.

"Must touch… fluffy tails…"

Kurama had seen many things. From the rises of a civilization to its ends. Granted that his status as the most powerful Bijuu ensured the end of everything foolish enough to oppose him. This… However.

Ridiculous. Those tails are weapons of mass destruction capable of wiping an entire mountain off the map on a single swipe. No one saw them this close and lived to tell the tale.

Either the small girl offending him has a death wish or is just plain crazy. Kurama thought it was the latter. She looked like a miniature version of his previous host which made things go from bad to worse, only creepier.

Uzumaki. Not even once.

Contrary to popular belief, the Kyuubi and its host, to some extent, does not only possess the ability to sense negative emotions. They could sense other emotions as well.

But not for this time. The Kyuubi couldn't sense anything at all from the girl. That explained the state of her mindscape, or the lack thereof.

The vast emptiness surrounding him does not make him feel any more comfortable.

**"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"** The Kyuubi snarled.

The girl pouted. Then burst out laughing. It was unsettling.

"I will call you Fluffy-chan."

If the other Bijuu knew about this, Kurama would surely lose his reputation and Shukaku wouldn't stop bothering him about this.

That was ten years ago, and Kaina couldn't help but wonder. Did she just blackmail a Bijuu when she is only three years old?


	2. Chapter 2

Kaina Uzumaki lived for two reasons.

One, she was born.

Two, she hasn't died yet.

And she wants to keep it that way. At all costs.

It has been years since the Hyuuga-Uzumaki incident and nothing interesting happened so far. What with the Hokage and Hinata's father being the only person to know what actually happened back then.

Solving problems without solutions. Uzumaki style.

No one is harmed. Permanently, at least. Although her kidnapper wouldn't be getting a promotion any sooner for turning in clones instead of actual living Hyuuga and Uzumaki.

...A three-year-old girl creating solid clones that managed to fool a jounin. No one had any idea how she did it. It just happened.

The Sandaime kept everything under wraps to preserve what was left of Kaina's childhood days. He wanted her to not become another Kakashi.

The Last Hatake was already a genin when he is only two years older ahead Kaina. Look at how well it turned out. Konoha doesn't need another child genius right now.

It's better that they stay in the dark about this. What they don't know won't hurt them. Just like how he told the villagers that his successor entirely sealed the Kyuubi inside the Shinigami's stomach.

Letting everyone else remaining ignorant or uninformed about the Hyuuga-Uzumaki incident will allow the Sandaime to not have the sense of responsibility to worry or think about it and keep the youngest Uzumaki hidden on plain sight.

In the end, it was decided. Kaina Uzumaki, the last living royal Uzumaki in Konoha will start enrolling in the academy after her eighth birthday.

"... I have a clan?"

Well yes, but actually no. Is there any way to explains genocide to an eight-year girl without traumatizing her?

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, Sandaime-sama. I know I'm the only Uzumaki living here."

"Study hard and make your parents proud. You might wear this hat one day."

Kaina shuddered. Wearing that hat is one thing, but to actually succeed the old man and become the next Hokage? No, thanks.

The Nidaime is the brother of the Shodaime. The Sandaime is the student of the Nidaime. The Yondaime is the student of the Sandaime's student. See? She can see the pattern!

She will be able to avoid being a Hokage as long as she didn't become the student of their students. Hopefully.

Which means...

She really needs to compile a complete list of people to avoid in the future.

"There is no need to wait for that day. See? I'm already wearing it. Thanks for the meal anyway."

Hiruzen Sarutobi is the most friendly Kage out of all great ninja villages, but that doesn't mean people would just laugh openly at the scene of a little girl snatching his hat. He isn't known as the God of Shinobi for nothing.

The Anbu guarding them was glad they have their mask on.

"Did something happened to Neko-san? Why did she seem to be a different person?"

"Anbu mask is passed down from owners to owners. Wait, you can sense them?" The Sandaime raised a wrinkled eyebrow. How could this girl get kidnapped if she can sense a hiding Anbu?

Perhaps her ability wasn't as strong as today. That must be it. No need to get worried over a simple detail.

The only thing he needs to be worried about is the unhealthy amount of ramen the girl was, and undoubtedly is, eating.

Without an Uzumaki in the vicinity, Ichiraku ramen wouldn't be gaining a massive amount of profit enough to open branches all across the elemental nations.

The only thing preventing them to actually spread their business beyond Konoha is the lack of Uzumakis anywhere else. No Uzumakis equals no stable source of income.

Kumo and Kiri must have hated ramen that much.

Ramen is 50% broth, 40% noodles, and 10% everything else. It's not clear if they hated the 50%, the 40%, or the 10%. It's impossible for someone to 100% hates ramen.

Or they just liked tsukemen, which is worse.

"15 bowls in under 6 minutes! Keep it up and you will break the world record."

"Thanks, Teuchi-san. I will try to do my best."

"If being a ninja doesn't work for you, why don't you try being a competitive eater?"

"I will think about it."


	3. Chapter 3

Kaina used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. Years spent living in the orphanage changed that.

The other kids won't stop bothering her. Treating her like the daughter of the daimyo or something.

This pretty face doesn't suit her... A random orphan born on a certain day to uncertain parents.

Parents who died as soon as she was born. She suspected as much.

Getting a Bijuu? Just say no. The Kyuubi cannot legally enter your body without consent. If only things were that simple.

Back to the present...

Everyone viewed her as a frail little thing made of glass who needed to be protected. A smiling bundle of joy incapable of harming flies.

Even the younger kids.

The caretakers weren't exactly helpful at all with their extra effort to make sure their little princess is not hurt. They never stopped telling her to run away from danger and ask for help if she is hurt.

Nobody leaves her alone as she wanted. All of her unhappiness in the orphanage come from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone.

Imagine the Hyuuga-Uzumaki incident being public knowledge, all of those additional attentions would drive her crazy.

Or crazier.

Fluffy-chan doesn't like the sound of that. But the fox doesn't like everything, so his opinion doesn't count.

The Hokage must have noticed her discomfort of staying in the orphanage for far so long she ended up being everyone's cherished big sis to let her get her own apartment. Definitely not because he was wary of her emotionless caretaker.

So here she is, all alone as the proud resident of room 108.

The best part about being alone is that you really don't have to answer to anybody. You do what you want. Sometimes it's better that way, no one can hurt you.

It's not like anyone can hurt her, permanently, at least. With her Uzumakiness and cuddly healing factor. But they are welcome to try anytime.

**"Listen, brat. You don't need to have a reason to maim someone. Just do it."**

"And miss the opportunity to call it justified self-defense? No thanks."

**"Details."**

The masked Uchiha will pay. Not for using the Sharingan against him, but for making him stuck inside a fledging sociopath with... morals?

Humans. Making everything more complicated since forever.

**"Don't you have somewhere else to be?"**

"You mean the academy? It's okay to be late on your first day."

Or the second day, or the third day, and the other day after. In the world of shinobi, there is no shame in not being punctual. The Copy Ninja is the testament to that.

Nevermind the fact that said cyclopic Jounin is the sole surviving member of Team Minato and the last Hatake. If it worked so well for him, it would have worked with everyone.

Technically, Kaina is not a shinobi. She is a kunoichi. One who has just recently started her training.

And hit her head hard on the utility pole the first time she tried to use Sunshin. Shisui-san laughed so hard that day.

The Uchiha had it easy. He has the Sharingan to see things better. Now she knows why the Kyuubi disliked those eyes.

It made everything looks easy. It's basically a cheat code to screw with the law of the universe.

Screw the rules! I have the Sharingan!

Oh, and apparently it could control Bijuu too.

She could make the Kyuubi smile. While dancing and singing.

**"Kids these days."**

"Oh, did you say something?"

Five minutes. That is what it takes for the first lesson of the academy to start. Yet one Kaina Uzumaki is still relaxing inside the empty space inside her mind.

You don't know real comfort until you have slept in Kyuubi's tails.

Perhaps she should consider sending a clone to the academy and just sleeps here until the stars align?

A tempting offer, but how about no.

Kaina is not lazy, she is just conserving her energy. The Last Uzumaki in Konoha is currently devoting herself to a degenerate and self-indulging life with her pet Bijuu.

A pet Bijuu who is too tired to argue against his jailor because she has her own brand of insanity.

The world will come to end when Uzushio's forbidden seal becomes unlocked. But first it needs to survive an unhinged Uzumaki Jinchuuriki obsessed with being normal.


	4. Chapter 4

What a terrible year.

Kaina Uzumaki just wants a quiet life. What she hated the most is bringing attention to herself. And she did that merely by existing.

It's easy to hate yourself when you keep falling short of your expectations.

As the only student with red hair, she is the most common target for harassment, even though this has had little effect on her.

Children are cruel. It's a phrase that has been said over and over by every adult.

The older academy teachers seem to be afraid of her. Which is a good thing. Konoha's Red Hot Habanero is no more, but her legacy still remains forever in their hearts.

Kaina doesn't know her father better than her mother. She doesn't even know his name, but she wanted to follow his footsteps instead of her mother.

A less known ninja is a successful ninja. The fact that only a select few seem to know his identity made him sounds cool. For the girliest boy in his graduating class, he is not too bad. At least according to the Uchiha Clan Matriarch who used to have a crush with the unnamed boy.

Somehow, the name of the now grown up and dead boy has become a taboo subject. The Hokage must be worried if that person can still appear out of nowhere whenever someone said his name as if summoned. Even in death. Threatening the balance of the world and bringing it closer to the brink of destruction.

The Kyuubi made no attempt to correct his host's mistake. He can't wait to see her reaction when someone revealed her father's true name. It's going to be a spectacle for sure.

"Aaah! It burns!"

Someone screamed. It turned out to be the Ami girl who forcefully grabbed Kaina's hair earlier.

Remember, kids. Bullying others never ends right. See?

Genjutsu is awesome. She has to thank Mukumo-san later. Or maybe now. Classes are boring anyway. It's not like being late is a bad thing.

The difference between reality and illusion is important to understand unless when you're about to face a Kurama Clan member. At that point, it doesn't matter very much if it isn't real.

"Mukumo-san. Thank you."

"I didn't do anything. Must be static electric shock."

Attracted by the commotion, Kaina's favorite academy teacher passed by. Something told her it was a good idea to practice the art of being a normal girl right away.

"Suzume-sensei, look! Mukumo-san is teaching me how to apply the no-makeup makeup!"

"This is going to work, Kaina-san. I know it is because I don't know what I'm going to do if it doesn't."

"Aren't you too young to use makeup? Shouldn't you two be in the classroom right now?"

The bespectacled Chuunin had no idea how Kaina managed to get along with the most withdrawn girl in the class. One with a melancholic disposition and the tendency to sigh a lot.

"But it's Mizuki-sensei's class. We learned nothing there."

That, and he hates ramen. Everyone who hates ramen with passion couldn't be trusted to do the right things right.

"I don't trust him. He could be sabotaging our grades by only teaching everything that isn't in the exam."

"Well said, Mukumo-san!"

Mukumo-san liked ramen. Unlike her cousins Yakumo and Tsukumo who only tolerated it. If Kaina finds anyone else who liked ramen she might consider adding them to her friend list.

The other reason why Kaina befriended the Kurama Clan branch family member is that she divert everyone's attention away from her by being prettier and more likely to be noticed first.

Why are all Clan children in her class so good looking? Centuries of selective breeding tends to do that.

She predicted most of them will pass this year. Izumi Uchiha did graduate at age 11, after all.

Which reminds Kaina, if she graduated later than her seniors and classmates, no one will consider her as a prodigy or Hokage material.

She certainly doesn't look forward to being a Genin at age 10, being promoted to Chunin at age 12, being an ANBU at age 13, and being a Hokage at age 23. Only to die at age 24.

It's not like she is related to the Yondaime Hokage or anything right? Her hair isn't blond and spiky.


	5. Chapter 5

Is it wrong to be friends with your students? Probably not. It's common for a teacher to become more devoted to his students, one who may be stuck at the academy longer than anyone else. The Uzumaki kid.

Sometimes, it can be really good to sit down with a student and have a genuine conversation about their favorite subject. Over a bowl of ramen.

Ramen is awesome. The 1 hours long wait at Ichiraku was less than he anticipated. The order took forever but it was worth it. Sometimes when he feels the need to decompress after a particularly grueling day, and not going to hot springs, he will order bowls of seaweed ramen.

"Thanks for the meal, sensei! You're the best!"

He is going to regret treating the Uzumaki girl eventually. His salary as an academy instructor could only do so much. There goes a month worth of salary, and here goes another.

"So, can we talk now? Let's be honest, I expected you to be this year's top kunoichi."

"Is something the matter?"

"Why are you holding back?"

The girl, Kaina, kept her expression perfectly unreadable. As calm and composed as ever. Which suited her just fine. Her given name is written in the kanji for "sea" and "calm" after all.

"What do you mean, sensei? I don't understand."

The idea of holding back, while intriguing, doesn't sound appealing to Kaina. Holding back means putting an effort to make yourself looks less capable in everyone's eyes. While she liked the part where people doesn't look at you, simply the thought of putting an effort on something made her think twice.

"If you aren't holding back, why is your grade in ninjutsu the lowest in the academy's history?"

"I have too much chakra, I guess. Have you heard of the Uzumakis?"

The Uzumakis are the most dominant clan in Uzushio. Back in their ruined homeland, they held absolute power over the welfare of the other clans. While they are extremely powerful, they aren't interested in conquering the world or anything like that.

What made them very dangerous other than their frequent dealings with gods and demons which manifested in their unrivaled Fuinjutsu skills is their semi-immortality and...

The massive amount of chakra reserves equivalent to a Bijuu. Almost.

It doesn't stop them from dying because of being killed, but at least it made them live longer than others.

"I see. What do you know about chakra controlling exercise?"

"Like sticking a leaf on our forehead?"

For a village named after leaves, Konoha sure has plenty of it laying around. The problem is that whenever Kaina tried that method of exercise, the leaf would quickly turn wet and split into two.

Great. She has water and wind chakra nature, which is uncommon in the village. It made sense. Her ancestor did not come from Konoha and most Uzumaki tends to have strong affinities for either of both elements.

"Different techniques need different amounts of chakra. You need to adjust it according to the technique you used."

The girl knows that but doesn't know how to control the flow of chakra inside her body. It sounded like hard work. Something she associated with getting close to dying.

What if Kaina doesn't even try to use her chakra at all. Using what little amount of it that is currently leaking instead. The way she constantly emitting chakra she can't control must make her glowing to a sensor ninja.

It's no wonder one of the Aburame kids once asked her why his bugs are attracted to her like a moth to the lamp. She had no idea how to respond to that.

Perhaps the key is to not be doing anything. Then maybe her body would stop producing an excess amount of chakra whenever she tried to use a Jutsu.

"Thanks, sensei. I figured it out. See?"

Iruka never saw sloppier and slower hand signs before, but the girl did a Bunshin right this time. A normal Bunshin. Just one of them.

"I know you can do it! See you in the exam, then."

His hand when through the Bunshin when he tried to touch it. That was all it took for him to know his student isn't cheating by using more chakra consuming clone techniques.

So, what if all of her problems are just her trying too much? Everyone did that mistake at least once in their own life.


	6. Chapter 6

Using the summoning technique without entering into proper contact with the animals tends to have an unexpected result of reverse summoning the user to wherever the animals are, which is a good thing for aspiring summoners lacking physical copies of the contract.

It was not necessarily a good thing if the summoners are all academy children, though. Now Suzume needs to wait for them to return before she can go home, curl inside her blanket in a fetal position, and start crying.

The day started fine enough. It was a sunny bright day with lots of sunshine, perfect for an outdoor class. The problem started when today's guest lecturer ended up contaminating an entire class of impressionable children with YOUTH.

Everyone got excited after a talking tortoise appeared in front of them as a successful display of what summoning technique can do. Unsurprisingly, it was Uzumaki who went missing in a cloud of smoke first. The rest of the class soon followed.

She can only hope everyone returned safely without any piece of their body or soul missing. Especially one Kaina Uzumaki. Kushina might be dead, but death is only a minor inconvenience for a full-blooded Uzumaki. Everyone knows how terrifying they are if someone hurts their precious person.

The older Uzumaki in the Pure Land sneezed.

Her still-living daughter stuck somewhere on the other side of the world sneezed. They had no idea what caused it.

"More tea?"

"You mean I can get all the tea I want?"

"Of course. If only you were a little older, you can get the sake too."

Kaina shrugged, tugging her sleeve free, setting down her teacup and noting the consistency of the liquid in her cup. It was very warm.

It's hard to believe she was watching the Green Beast of Konoha in action a few minutes ago and then having a tea party with this pretty lady in an expensive-looking kimono but that's life, always full of surprise.

Besides, didn't Suzume-sensei told her the purpose of having classes outside is to teach students how to reacts to the unexpected situation?

"Why is that wolf chasing its tail in circles?"

"Oh. That is just ▓▓▓▓▓▓, he is a lightweight." A gust of wind drowned the woman's voice as she said the wolf's name. Where did it come from?

"Please ignore him. I don't recommend speaking to him even if he is sober. He doesn't like humans as much as I do."

"Am I the only human here?"

"Well, you are what you eat. If I eat you, maybe I will become human as well. Who knows?"

For Kaina, nothing is scarier than being the Hokage. If even the most fearsome Bijuu can faze her, what is another monster to her?

"Just kidding. I'm not like those snake women from Ryuchi Cave. They only think about food. Alright. I might be the same. But I don't eat humans and still think about anything else. Like drinks."

"Foods and drinks are nice, but when can I sign the contract?"

"Contract? What contract? Uzushio is gone. I don't serve as their keeper anymore, young Uzumaki. For the first time in centuries, I'm free."

What a waste of time. Kaina thought. She knew she has to leave this place before she felt the urge to strangle her hostess whose smug aura started to mock her.

"Leaving so soon? I'm sorry, but that is impossible. You can't leave once you have consumed something from here. Won't you be a good guest and entertain me for a bit longer? Please?"

"How about no?"

The woman laughed. Covering her mouth with her sleeved hand. A hand filled with dangerously sharp painted nails.

"Let's play a game. If you can get out of this place on your own, I will let you leave. There are only one rules, don't die."

The snow falls, pale and light. First, it snowed on the ground, then on the trees, and finally everywhere. Silver-glittering snow piled up and seemed like it would explode at any time.

The snow helps the scene to bring the dead to life and the living to death. Soft and brittle in places, but that's what human life is. It's like glass, and so it's fragile. Especially for shinobi.

There's nothing to hold the snow back, nothing to contain them. Nothing can stop them from growing.

"Good luck, young Uzumaki!"


	7. Chapter 7

When you think of winter, you think of snow. When you think of snow, you think of snowmen. Not an army of living dead. They emerged from under the snow without warning and began to look for fresh living bodies for lunch.

At least that was what Kaina thought. Her imagination is her downfall. No one is going to be eaten today. They are only interested in the colour of her soul.

Their cold bodies are unblemished and in pristine condition. Making them indistinguishable from royal shinobi of Kirigakure from distance. And just like their still-living counterparts, they were warriors of great skill and composure.

Not dying nor aging, they are bestowed eternal half-life for the purpose of serving their controller for all eternity as a result of being unwillingly exposed to the pinnacle of Uzushio's sorcery. The one that was only deployed once in the village history right before its destruction.

They are still capable of using ninjutsu and communicate with each other. Which made them even more dangerous. The only way to stop them is to sever the link they shared with their controller.

To be dead but never to rest. That is the destiny of the Kimyo Kugutsu.

"Suiton, huh? I expected as much from former Kiri ninja."

They started throwing water-based ninjutsu at Kaina until the tall one used an area-wide Raiton Jutsu that accidentally electrocuted his teammates. Teamwork must not be their strong suit.

"Hyojuro! You bastard!"

"Imbecile. Stop holding me back."

Forget teamwork. The enemy already outnumbers her seven to one and all of them are around Jounin level. If they started to work as a team, they will be invincible.

"The first rule of hunting! Don't let the prey escape!"

The objective hasn't changed. Escape from this place alive. But how?

Everything looks the same and now everyone is trying to kill her before she can find the exit. At first, she used to think if she will die of boredom or went insane after an eternity of nothing but snow.

"W-what if...What if there is no escape? I can't keep running away forever..."

Think, Kaina. If there is no escape, what would she do? If there are no options left...

"It's up to me to make an impact!"

Surrounded and unarmed, she decided to make any strikes matter. The Hyuugas only need one strike to end a fight. Kaina might not be related to any of them, but it's the spirits that count.

The blonde one melted into a puddle. She should saw it coming.

Kaina doesn't know what happens next, but whatever happened must have caused her to be pinned to the ground with a kunai against her throat.

"It's over. You should give up."

Aside from his shark-like teeth and ability to turn into waters at will, the blonde man doesn't look threatening.

"What will you do if I don't give up? Because that is what I will do."

Giving up is for losers. There is nothing noble about giving up. So what is there to lose? It's not like she is capable of dying anyway as long as Fluffy-chan is still around.

"Well done."

Kaina suddenly feels very sleepy and lose consciousness. Only to wake up at the same clearing where the banquet is being held. Nothing changed from her previous visit. Other than the satisfied expression her hostess is wearing.

She still wanted to punch that fair, sharply-featured faces, though. Those mocking slanted eyes would look infinitely better with bruises.

"Oh, dear. I think I forgot to tell you there is no exit. Haha, sorry. But I'll admit... you've piqued my interest."

"Can I go home now?"

"The wisdom of the Dark Realm is to be ruthless and never give up. You sure got the last part right. Before you leave, I have something for your troubles."

"What is it? Ramen?"

The woman pulled out a fairly unremarkable-looking scroll from her sleeves and smacked Kaina on the head with it.

"Oops, my hand slipped."

If it's not ramen, what is inside that scroll anyway? The second best thing after ramen, perhaps?

"Don't open it before you become a Chunin. I'm serious. You will die. Kyuubi or no Kyuubi."

Anything that can bypass Kaina and Fluffy-chan's combined regenerations doesn't sound like something good.

"Come now. The road leading back to your home is this way."


	8. Chapter 8

Kaina didn't realize showing up at someone else house at 4 in the morning is not a normal thing to do. For civilians, perhaps. But wasn't she supposed to be a ninja? In-training or not.

Civilians' definition of normal is very different from their own. A ninja must be ready for a mission 24/7 unless the leader of their village stated otherwise. Typical tyrants.

It wasn't a surprise to see the person she wanted to visit to be awake. At first, she wondered if she has entered the wrong. Seeing Suzume-sensei without her oval glasses is an intimidating sight, Kaina couldn't recognize the woman until she heard her voice.

"Come on in!"

"Are you Suzume-sensei? You know, just in case."

"What a silly question. Do you face the sun and ask: Are you the sun?"

Perhaps Kaina should consider a career in T&I with Ino's dad soon. They could use a human lie detector like her. Emotions are every ninja's weakness, no one can hide it from her no matter how hard they tried.

...Except if they are emotionless evil possessed puppets.

"You are not the first student to come here today. Your friend Tenten just left about five minutes ago. I'm surprised you didn't meet her on the way."

Suzume-sensei wasn't joking when she said her students can visit her whenever they wanted to, as long as the reason is related to anything that happened in the academy.

But this is still a house owned by a trained ninja. With that in mind, Kaina entered Suzume-sensei's house with full caution. Who knows what kind of defense it has.

"I have told you before, there is no such thing as Uzumaki remover. Not here, at least."

She couldn't dismiss the sight of the woman's piercing red gaze that screams blood and murder. Those unnatural pairs of eyes made her looked like an actual ninja who dealt with death and destruction daily.

Most academy students are afraid of it. Weaklings. According to Funeno-sensei, they have no hope of ever becoming a ninja. Suzume-sensei won't hurt a fly, she is mostly docile when not provoked into action.

In other words, she is just your average academy teacher.

"Sit down, please. Is there something you need? Don't tell me it's about the You-Know-What again."

"Can you inspect this scroll without opening it? Of course, you can. You are the smartest sensei in the academy!"

"I know I'm the only adult in the academy who wears glasses, but that doesn't mean I'm the smartest. Let's just get this over with. Where did you get that scroll?"

"The Dark Realm."

Kaina told her sensei what happened, omitting nothing. The information she provided must be as true and as accurate as possible to her knowledge.

"...And then you appeared in a nameless shrine deep in the woods. Nearly giving the caretaker a heart attack."

Suzume knows something is wrong with this girl since day one. Trouble followed her wherever she goes. For a simple girl whose only desire is to live peacefully, she has the worst luck ever.

The small scroll she carries looked innocent, but it's scented like a very expensive perfume worn by a daimyo's most favoured consort. Intoxicatingly so.

"Sensei, you're not supposed to open the scroll."

"I'm not opening, I'm touching. There's no rule against that, is there?"

"No, guess there isn't. Oops! Sensei, it opened by itself."

_"Congratulations on becoming a Chunin! Your reward will be delivered soon. If not, you have seven days to live."_

"Oh no! We are going to die!"

"Not we, you. I'm a Chunin, remember? Let's pretend this never happened."

The countless ghostly hands emerging from the tatami mats are not real. The aged book it left behind doesn't exist. Everything is perfectly normal, as all things should be.

Until the book tried to bite the two ninjas in the room. A fatal mistake. A Katon Jutsu calmed it down. Something is written on its opened first page.

_"Thou shalt be able to summon forth demons at any point if their names are first written within these pages."_

"This kind of contract isn't rare. Our Yondaime has one with the Shinigami."

A contract that resulted in his untimely demise.

Fortunately, Kaina hasn't signed any contracts yet. Or has she?


	9. Chapter 9

Seven days passed and all too soon, the graduation exams is starting. Earlier in the morning, Kaina received a mail from a Courier Ninja who delivered it through the windows. The mail contained a single letter with no return address.

Kaina opened the envelope carefully, not wanting to damage the letter inside. Courier Ninja services aren't cheap. It's obvious whoever wrote the letter doesn't think price is a problem.

_"Your free trial of being alive has expired. Please purchase the full version to continue living or try signing up for another free trial today. We hope you enjoyed this free trial, and want to share with your friends."_

The content made no sense. No one is going to commit unalive today. If it has anything to do with the book from the Dark Realm, nothing will come out of it.

You can't kill someone by telling them they will die, unless if they believed it. Kaina no longer believed in such things since everyone started to laugh at her stupidity. But then Mukumo-san joined, and their laughter dissipated.

There is something weird and creepy with the way that girl laughed. When an otherwise grim and emotionless girl started to giggle, it's never a good sign for those involved. Kaina thought it's hilarious and started making her socially inept friend laughs more from that day. The same goes for the Aburame boy.

She helped the landlady with her groceries, peel some potatoes, and chop the vegetables and a finger. It healed in a few moments, leaving no proof of the accident. The way of the housewife is harder than ninja.

"Thanks for helping, I appreciate it. But don't you have an important exam today?"

"It started raining outside, I'm not going anywhere. The academy can wait."

The written exams didn't start until two more hours, what's the point of going so early? For some people, two hours is enough time to steal the answer to the exam's questions. If they didn't do anything stupid like getting caught.

Kaina has no interest in such things, she will just answer everything with "B". Even if it's not a multiple-choice questions.

The rain continues to fall from the heavens almost as if it is some kind of secret sorcery, followed by a windstorm which is eventually joined by two more huge thunderstorms and big gusts of wind for at least another few hours.

"Look at the time, I think I should go."

"Good luck in your exam!"

A rainbow formed across the sky above Konoha as Kaina walked down the path she had walked so many times before. Today is a good day to be alive, as far as Kaina is concerned.

She heard the sound of a dog or a cat coming from the river and saw an animal with pale yellow fur swimming and failing. If she didn't do anything, the dog will drown and its owner will be sad. And then the girl plunges her body into the wild waters of the river.

But there is a small problem, Kaina doesn't know how to swim.

As the she struggles to keep her head above the water, she inhales more and more water. Before the water approaches her skull and she begins to drown, a strange shadowy figure grabbed her hand and pulled her body out from the water.

When she and the dog arrived on dry land safely, she finds a familiar face staring at her with a disappointed expression. It was the only approachable Uchiha in the village who isn't Itachi Uchiha and his brother, Sasuke.

"Thanks for saving my life, Shisui-niisan! I owe you!"

"Just don't do anything like this again. Promise?"

After a brief exchange, Kaina resumed her walk to the academy while carrying the dog she saved in her hands. She can't leave the dog alone until she found its owner. It's just a normal dog, she thought.

Kaina wondered what possessed her to start having a panic attack when she touched the puppy. The river is not deep, the chance of someone actually drowning is slim to none at best.

"What is your excuse of being so late?" asked Mizuki-sensei.

"I fell in the river because I was saving a puppy, but Shisui-san saved me."

"That's impossible. Shisui Uchiha died last night."

"But I'm not lying!"

"Oh come on... You can come up with better..."


	10. Chapter 10

Mizuki-sensei is weird. Whoever hired him as a teacher is even weirder. Letting a sadistic misanthrope near a lot of children isn't exactly the most normal thing to do.

...Having an ability to sense people emotion is not exactly normal, either. But only a few people know about it, so Kaina can pretend to be normal until she became normal for real. There are only two kinds of people in this world: Normal and not normal.

When one of Shisui-san's friend from ANBU, a young man with brown shaggy hairs arrived at the academy to bring his baby cousin home, Kaina doesn't mention anything about meeting his supposedly dead friend.

Not after the current holder of the Kitsune mask said he just returned from Shisui-san's funeral, even if there is no body to bury.

"So, Mukumo-chan. Do you think you will become a Genin?"

An off-duty Tsukumo Kurama is just an overprotective older sibling.

"Absolutely. You should better be worried about this kid instead. She started the exam five minutes before the end."

"You wound me, Mukumo-san. I can answer everything in under one minutes."

It started raining again, and Tsukumo-san lend Kaina one of his katanas which she reluctantly accept. Kaina doesn't know what to do with it until the ANBU unsheathed his own. Imagine her surprise when it turned out to be an umbrella.

"Rain is a good weather for funerals, don't you think so? What's up with that puppy?"

"I haven't found its owner yet, so I kind of stuck with it."

"It probably belongs to an Inuzuka. It's too clean to be a stray."

Kaina wondered if this person will stop making deductions as if he is the second coming of Ryuunosuke Naruhodou. She already figured all the things he said as a possibility before he started talking. Thank you, captain obvious.

But this is the same person who tricked people into thinking he is a competent ninja worthy of being ANBU by his skills in Genjutsu alone and the tendency to be at the right place at the right time. This person is dangerous. At least to everyone who isn't an Uchiha or has their eyes.

Every ANBU in Konoha is dangerous, no exception. Even cuddly ones like Neko-san and her successor who wore similar mask with less whisker.

How long can she pretends to be ignorant of her landlady's secret former identity? That woman is so clumsy it's no longer funny. Her hands is always covered in bandages.

"You can return my umbrella whenever you like. I don't think you will be moving out of the village any time soon."

"Thanks, I guess."

Finally. Alone, again. Well, not really alone since she still have the dog with her. That, and the Kyuubi. Fluffy-chan is so quiet these days. Sometimes she forgot there is a Bijuu inside of her.

_"Moshi-moshi, Kaina here. Fluffy-chan, are you still there?"_

_**"I WISH I WASN'T HERE."**_

_"Indoor voice, Fluffy-chan. We're talking in my mind. You don't want to make me crazier, right?"_

_**"What do you want? I haven't got all day."**_

_"Just saying hello. I thought you don't know how to talk anymore."_

Fluffy-chan sounded less... Grumpy today. There is one less Uchiha, that singular thought is enough to brighten his day. Perhaps. No one knows how demons thought process worked.

If Kaina know how to cry over the loss of an older brother figure, she would. Assuming Shisui-niisan actually died. Unfortunately, no one taught her how to truly express emotions.

It seems like even a puppy is more expressive than her.

"You want me to follow you?"

The dog doesn't answer, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The only person who own a talking dog wears a mask and conceal a Sharingan eye. Something Fluffy-chan is allergic to.

He doesn't reacts badly to any other Sharingan wielder in proximity, though. How peculiar.

She passed by two Chuunin guards renowned for beeing keener than any Doujutsu users and they started panicking after realising where she was headed.

"Don't go there! There is a man-eating monster in that place!"

However, Kotetsu's warning fell to deaf ears. The last time Kaina when to the nameless shrine, there is only the Yamanaka caretaker there. Besides, a man-eating monster won't eat a little girl like her, right?


End file.
